MANHATTAN, NY — Four New Yorkers — Micah Lasher, Caroline Shinkle, Wilneida Negron, and Karen Ortiz— will face off next Tuesday in the race to represent District 12 in Congress.
District 12, which includes the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Roosevelt Island, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown, Chelsea, NoMad, Flatiron and Union Square, has been represented by Democrat Jerry Nadler since 2023, when the district's borders were redrawn to include the Upper East Side.
When Nadler announced last fall that he was stepping down at the end of his more than 30-year term, it sparked a high-profile primary race for 12 congressional hopefuls vying for the Democratic nomination.
The coveted nomination ultimately went to Lasher, who won with 39 percent of the vote in the crowded race.
Congressional District 12 has more than 364,776 registered Democrats and more than 53,049 registered Republicans, according to New York state data from February. But, more than 119,138 voters in the district aren't registered with either party.
Here's a quick candidate breakdown, in the order that they'll appear on the ballot.
Lasher, an Upper West Sider who earned Nadler's endorsement and who describes himself as a "proud product of New York City public schools," is currently serving as the Assemblymember representing the Upper West Side's 69th District.
As part of his platform, he's proposed a federal affordability agenda.
"It starts with housing, the single biggest driver of our affordability crisis. In Congress, I will fight to massively expand our housing supply, repeal the Faircloth Amendment so we can build new public housing, fully fund Section 8 vouchers, and invest federal capital in Section 9 to give NYCHA the resources to make long-overdue repairs and give residents the safe, dignified homes they deserve," Lasher told Patch.
He's also told Patch he'd fight to stop the "flow of illegal guns" into New York City, and reform federal Medicaid restrictions that limit funding for acute psychiatric care.
When it comes to President Donald Trump, Lasher will take a "fierce, principled, and strategic opposition" to the conservative president, and is calling for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
"I bring deep experience at every level of government and a proven track record of getting big things done," Lasher said.
Read Lasher's Q&A here.
Shinkle, the Republican nominee for NY-12, ran unapposed in the primary election and describes herself as "fluent in Economics and American taxpayer," as well as English and French.
From Midtown, she graduated from MIT and earned a law degree from Harvard. Since then, she's worked in central banking around the world and practiced corporate law in Manhattan, she said.
As part of her platform, she's promising to improve affordability by reducing the tax on work and cutting the regulatory framework that she said is driving up the cost of electricity and impacting the housing supply.
"There is no reason why New York City cannot benefit from the economies of scale inherent in its large population," Shinkle told Patch. "The cost of living should be lower here because we have a larger population base through which to defray costs."
She also said she will support the NYPD and federal immigration laws "to remove the worst of the worst criminals from our streets and communities."
When it comes to Trump, Shinkle will seek out a "positive working relationship."
"I represent enterprise, common sense, and demonstrated excellence. The choice could not be more night and day," Shinkle told Patch.
Read Shinkle's Q&A here.
Negron, an independent candidate running on the "For All Of Us" party line, is a worker advocate with a doctorate degree in comparative politics, a master's in public administration, and a philosophy master's. She founded the Future of Workers Initiative and co-founded the Startups & Society Initiative, and authored The Human Interface.
In Congress, she would fight for legislation to build more homes, fund housing vouchers, pilot programs to let renters build savings, and reduce other big costs like child care, prescriptions, and health care.
"Congress can't set rents, but it does control the biggest levers on what we pay," Negron told Patch.
When it comes to improving safety in New York City, Negron told Patch she'd crack down on illegal gun trafficking and fund violence-prevention measures like summer job programs for young people and better lighting in public housing developments.
"I started my career in jails and detention centers. I saw what happens when we only show up after the crisis. Real safety means getting there first," Negron said.
She also called for the end of ICE, and said she'd act as a "check, not a rubber stamp" for Trump.
"I'm a policy innovator, not a career politician. I build policy from the ground up: I investigate what's happening to people, gather the evidence, and design solutions that work," Negron said.
Read Negron's Q&A here.
Ortiz, an independent candidate running on the "Karen Ortiz" party line, is a civil servant living in Chelsea who attended Columbia University for undergrad and earned her law degree from Fordham Law School.
Ortiz has worked across the public sector — at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Social Security Administration, the MTA, NYC Parks & Recreation, NYC's Office of Administrative Trials & Hearings and the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission.
In the race for Congress, she is proposing no federal taxes on the first $100,000 of income, Medicare for All, and a full restoration of food stamp benefits. She also said she would "fight to end all aid to Israel and any other foreign state/entity that is engaging in genocide and the murder of civilians."
She said she would also fight to fully fund and build more public housing.
When it comes to Trump, Ortiz said she has a record as a whistleblower, and she would introduce impeachment proceedings.
"I will keep going until the rot is eliminated from the Executive Branch. On this I will not compromise. I will happily work closely with those willing to uphold their oaths to the U.S. Constitution," Ortiz said.
Ortiz also said that ICE should be abolished.
"I have the moral clarity to stand on business regardless of any personal attacks aimed at me. That is what a true leader does," Ortiz said.
Read Ortiz's Q&A here.
Early voting will take place now through Sunday, Nov. 1. Here's where to vote in Manhattan. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 2. Find your poll site here.
For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.
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